Car-diaphragm.



E. E. WHITMORB.

GAR DIAPHRAGM.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 12, 1913.

1,078,758. Patented-Nov. 18, 1913. 1

* UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD E. WHITMORE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE CURTAIN SUPPLY COMPANY, OF NEWARK, NE'W JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CAR-DIAPHRAGM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD E. VVHrrMonn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Diaphragms, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates more particularly to the accordion type of car vestibule diaphragms, and has for its object certain improvements in the manner of constructing and joining the leg and top portions, whereby to render the samemore durable and efiiclent, and at the same time to greatly simplify and cheapen the cost of manufacture. The sections of such diaphragms, when so constructed that the plaits are joined along the inner meeting edges at an acute angle and by a seam or the like, are open to the objection that dust and cinders settle thereon and are by the rain carried into the space between the edges of the fabric cutting and rotting the, same and eflecting a speedy deterioration. Especially is this true of the top and shoulder portions which present conditions favorable to the lodgment of cinders and dust. It is comparatively easy to avoid this difliculty as to the top and as to the legs by forming such portions of each section of a single strip of fabric folded without creasing and seaming to form a trough of U- section, but difliculty is experienced in so joining the top and side portions at the shoulder as to present at this place a. U- cross section Without the employment of a number of flutings or darts which add greatly to the cost of manufacture and present pockets or obstructions to catch dust and permit the seepage of dirty water into the interstices.

According to the present invention, I attain the objects and avoid the-difliculties outlined above, while materially reducing the cost of manufacture, by connecting the side and top portions of U-section by means of.

shoulder pieces in the nature. of gussets formed 0 pieces. having their outer ed s curved and with darts in their ends where y when inserted the outer edges of the strips forming the top and side portions are tangential to, the arcuate outer edges of the gussets and the ends are joined on lines normal to the top and side strips, the gussets bein free from any other overlapping joints are the bottom of the gusset U extending in a straight line, at a pitch of substantially 45, between the points of junction with the vertical and horizontal strips forming the side and top portions.

In order that the invention may be readily understood, preferred and modified embod1 nrents of the same are setforth in the accompanying drawing and in the detail descri tion predicated thereon. As, however, 1; e invention is capable of embodiment in other and varied constructional forms, the drawing and description are to be construed in an illustrative rather than in an unnecessarily limiting sense. I

In the drawing Figure 1 is an end elevation of a diaphragm with the face plate removed; Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the upper portion of the diaphragm; Fig. 3 is a detail. of the gusset blank; Fig. 4 is a similar view of a modification; and Fig. 5 is a cross-section on the line 55 of Fig. 4.

The diaphragm, as shown, is composed of sections 11, 11 the outer edges of which overlie each other and are secured together by means of binding strips 12, the outer edges of the outer sections being secured one to the end of the car at 13 and the other to the face plate at 14 in the usual manner. The leg or side portions 15 of each section as also the top or roof portion 16 are composed each of a strip of fabric folded longitudinally without creasing to form a trough-like structure of U-cross section the bottom portion 17 of which is formed upon a gentle curve. Connecting the ends of the top portion 16 with the adjacent ends of the similar U-cross section, the bottoms of which iifextend in a straight line between the points of junction with the top and side portions and at a pitch of substantially 45 as shown .in Fig. 1. The shoulder pieces 18 arewithout longitudinal seams and preferably without transverse seams, the upper ends of the shoulder pieces underlying the ends of the 'top strip at 19 and overlying the ends of the side. strips at- 20 whereby to shed the water as it flows from the top or roof 16 over the shoulder and down the sides of the legs.

The outer nieeting edges of the shoulder pieces of adjacent sections are formed upon an arc to which the corresponding edges of the side andtop portions are tangent end Patented Nov. 18, 1913. 7

the line of junction between the shoulder piece and top and side strips are normal to such tangent lines.

In, order to economize material and labor, avoiding unnecessary disadvantageous seams and consequent necessary binding, I preferably form each of the-shoulder pieces as a gusset, the outlines ofwhich are shown in Fig. 3, the opposite outer edges 21, 21 being curved uponan arc and the ends being provided with darts at 22, 22, the apiocs of which are in line with the longitudinal axis of the blank. Vhen folded into U-shape the boundary lines of the darts coincide with the lines of junction 19 and 20 between the gusset or shoulder piece and the top andbottom' portions respectively of the diaphragm. Thus is formed a shoulder piece connecting the top and sides of the diaphragm which presents an unbroken surface throughout its length, avoiding obstructions and simplif ing the construction; the shoulder piece having the same advantageous U-section as the top and side portions and serving to carry the water and dirt from the top of the diaphragm over the side without giving opportunity for seepage with its consequent destructive effect upon the diaphragm.

In order to utilize a narrower strip of material in the gusset, the same may be made in the way indicated in Figs. 4 and 5, the two pieces of. material 18 and 18 having straight edges abutting along the line 23 without overlap and joined upon their under side by a binding strip 24 breaking joints with the pieces 18 and 18 as clearly shown in said figures. The additional cost of the wider material, employed in the gusset shown in Fig. 3 is, however, more than'compensated for by the saving of bindingmaterial and labor which is effected by forming the gusset in one piece.

By making the legs, top and corners of U- section, the expansibility of the diaphragm as a. whole is so greatly increased that a four-,plait diaphragm has substantially the same capacity of expansion as a six-plait diaphragm of the V-section, whereby a saving of one-third in material and labor is effected; moreover, the fold of the U-section .V-section in combination with shoulder and top pieces of U-section; also that the corner or shoulder pieces having their bottoms extending in an unbroken straight line' at substantial1y'45 may be employed to advantop strips longitudinally folded to a U-cross section, and shoulder pieces of a similar cross-section connectin the side and to strips at the corners, substantially as descr bed.

2. In a car vestibule diaphragm of the accordion type, a section comprising side and top strips longitudinally folded to a U- cross section, and one piece shoulder strips of a similar cross-section connecting the side and top strips atthe corners, substantially as described.

A car vestibule diaphragm of the accordion type, each section comprising side and top strips and diagonal shoulder pieces all longitudinally folded to a U-cross section, the shoulder pieces joining the top with the side strips without intermediate overlapping joints and the bottom of the shoulder-U extending in a substantially straight line between the points of junction with the cordion type, each sectioncomprising side and top strips and diagonal shoulder pieces all longitudinally folded to'a U-cross section, the shoulder pieces joining the top with the side strips without intermediate overlapping joints and the bottom of the shoulder-U extending in a substantially straight line between the points of junction with the top and side strips, and at a pitch of substantially 45, substantially as described.

5. A car vestibule diaphragm of the accordion type, each section comprising two side strips and a single top strip and two diagonal shoulder pieces all longitudinally folded to a U-cross section, the shoulder pieces joining the top with the side'strips substantially as described.

6. A car vestibule diaphragm of the accordion -type, each section comprising two side strips and a single topstrip and two diagonal shoulder pieces all longitudinally folded to a U-cross section, the shoulder pieces joining the top with the side strips and the bottom of the shoulder-U extending in a straight line at a pitch of substantially 45 between the points of junction with the top and side strips, substantially as described.

7 A car vestibule diaphragm of the ac- 'cordion type, each section comprising side orena and top strips and diagonal shoulder pieces all longitudinally folded to a U-cross section, tliesboulder pieces joining the top with the side strips, the shoulder ieces formed of blanks having their outer e ges curved and with darts in'their ends whereby when inserted the outer edges of the side and top strips are tangential to the outer edges of the shoulder pieces'and their ends-are oined on lines substantially normal to such tangents, substantially as described.

8. A car vestibule diaphragm of the accprdion type, each section comprising two side strips and a single to dia onal shoulder pieces al longitudinally fol ed' to a U-cross section, the shoulder pieces joining the'top with the side' strips without intermediate overlapping joints, the.

shoulder pieces formed oi blanks having their outer edges curved and with darts in their ends whereby when inserted in'the diae phragm the outer edges of the side and top strips are tangential to the outer edges of the shoulder pieces and the U-trough of the shoulder pieces forms a continuation of the strip and .two

U-trough of the side and top pieces, substantially asdescribed.

9. A car vestibule diaphragm of theaccordion type,;each section comprising two side strips and a single to strip and two dia onal shoulder pieces al longitudinally fol ed, theshoulder pieces joining the 'top with the side strips and the bottom of the shoulder extending in a straight line at a pitch of substantially 45 between the points of junction with the to and side strips, substantially as described? 10. A car vestibule diaphragm of the accordion type, each section comprising two side strips, a top strip, and two diagonal 'cor-ner pieces joining said top with the copies or thiapatent may be obtained tor five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents, Washington, D. 0."

taz'n Supply Company;

Enters a formal disclaimer as described.

[Ofiicz'al Gazette, Jam 9, 1914.]

similar cross-section connecting the side and top DISCLAIMER- 1,07S,758.-E iward E. Wkz'tmo re, Chicago, Ill. CAR-DIAPHRAGM. Patent dated November 18, 1913. Disclaimer filed June 1, 1914, by the assignee, The Our- To claim l only of the aforesaid Letters Patent, which claim reads as follows: in a car vestibule diaphragmof the accordion type, ag-section comprising side and top strips longitudinally folded to a U-oross section, and shoulder pieces of a strips at the corners, substantially 'cordion type, each section comprising side orena and top strips and diagonal shoulder pieces all longitudinally folded to a U-cross section, tliesboulder pieces joining the top with the side strips, the shoulder ieces formed of blanks having their outer e ges curved and with darts in'their ends whereby when inserted the outer edges of the side and top strips are tangential to the outer edges of the shoulder pieces'and their ends-are oined on lines substantially normal to such tangents, substantially as described.

8. A car vestibule diaphragm of the accprdion type, each section comprising two side strips and a single to dia onal shoulder pieces al longitudinally fol ed' to a U-cross section, the shoulder pieces joining the'top with the side' strips without intermediate overlapping joints, the.

shoulder pieces formed oi blanks having their outer edges curved and with darts in their ends whereby when inserted in'the diae phragm the outer edges of the side and top strips are tangential to the outer edges of the shoulder pieces and the U-trough of the shoulder pieces forms a continuation of the strip and .two

U-trough of the side and top pieces, substantially asdescribed.

9. A car vestibule diaphragm of theaccordion type,;each section comprising two side strips and a single to strip and two dia onal shoulder pieces al longitudinally fol ed, theshoulder pieces joining the 'top with the side strips and the bottom of the shoulder extending in a straight line at a pitch of substantially 45 between the points of junction with the to and side strips, substantially as described? 10. A car vestibule diaphragm of the accordion type, each section comprising two side strips, a top strip, and two diagonal 'cor-ner pieces joining said top with the copies or thiapatent may be obtained tor five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents, Washington, D. 0."

taz'n Supply Company;

Enters a formal disclaimer as described.

[Ofiicz'al Gazette, Jam 9, 1914.]

similar cross-section connecting the side and top DISCLAIMER- 1,07S,758.-E iward E. Wkz'tmo re, Chicago, Ill. CAR-DIAPHRAGM. Patent dated November 18, 1913. Disclaimer filed June 1, 1914, by the assignee, The Our- To claim l only of the aforesaid Letters Patent, which claim reads as follows: in a car vestibule diaphragmof the accordion type, ag-section comprising side and top strips longitudinally folded to a U-oross section, and shoulder pieces of a strips at the corners, substantially 

